Events
Featured Event
Tour: Early Spring Blooms
In mid-April, flowers are just starting to emerge from the trees and shrubs of the Arboretum. Join an Arboretum docent to see, smell, and learn about these early spring blooms!
All events at the Arboretum are free. We welcome people of all abilities and are committed to facilitating a safe and engaging experience for all who visit. To view our accessibility practices, please visit our Accessibility page. To request services such as an interpreter, wheelchair, or other assistance prior to attending an event, please contact us as soon as you register.
Upcoming Events
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Mar 10Sep 10
Art Show | Intersections: Pairings of Botanical Art and Herbarium Vouchers from the Collections of the Arnold Arboretum
The living collections of the Arnold Arboretum are complemented by supplementary collections that reside in the Hunnewell Building. Among these, the Horticultural Library collections include an exquisite collection of botanical prints, and the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants consists of approximately 132,000 "vouchers"—plant specimens that have been dried, pressed, and mounted on paper. This exhibition, featuring botanical art by Mark Catesby, and other botanical artists, paired with herbarium vouchers of both native and non-native plants, results in an insider's look at how these various collections intersect. View this show in the Hunnewell Visitor Center during open hours.
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Mar 17Jun 25
Art Show | Still Lives: Plants of the Arnold Arboretum, Close Up and Far Away
Photographer Vaughn Sills brings her exquisite still lives of Arboretum plants—whether in flower or fruit, burnished fall foliage or shimmery bud—to our exhibition. The images are from the inside—photography in her studio and the outside—nature and wide expanses of earth. Combined, these seemingly disparate elements convey the importance of two ways of looking, close up and far away. Loebner Magnolia photograph by Vaughn Sills.
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Mar 23
Virtual Livestream Lecture | Plant Exploration: Then and Now
The Arnold Arboretum has been collecting plants from around the world for 150 years, but plant exploration today looks very different than it did in the 1800s. Join Head of the Library and Archives Lisa Pearson and Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann to learn what these trips were like in the days of yore, and what they are like now.
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Mar 23
On-site Lecture | Plant Exploration: Then and Now
The Arnold Arboretum has been collecting plants from around the world for 150 years, but plant exploration today looks very different than it did in the 1800s. Join Head of the Library and Archives Lisa Pearson and Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann to learn what these trips were like in the days of yore, and what they are like now.
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Mar 25
Spring Birding
The Arnold Arboretum incorporates many features that draw birds here, and we implement many practices that help birds. Our plants provide shelter and food. Our horticulture staff leave tree trunks standing, herbaceous plants, and leaves in rich understory resources for feeding. Join our docent, Donna Sullivan, for a spring birding tour, which is perfect for beginners and seasoned birders alike.
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Mar 28
Workshop | Chainsaw Maintenance and Safety
Join Head Arborist John Del Rosso for an interactive workshop on chainsaw maintenance and safety. Designed for professionals and gardeners with some chainsaw experience, you will learn how to best maintain your chainsaw, make effective felling cuts and tension cuts, use proper PPE, and develop safe work habits.
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Apr 08
Arboreal Sonorities: Sound Walk in the Arboretum | Saturday Walk
Trees not only generate sound when pumping water up their trunks and branches or serving as habitats for other species; they can also receive and respond to sound waves! Join artist, researcher, and educator Jacek Smolicki on a walk through the Arboretum. Learn about acoustic ecology and listen to the sounds Smolicki has captured in the Arboretum and other forest environments. Please bring your own headphones (wired and over-the-ear are ideal).
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Apr 08
Arboreal Sonorities: Sound Walk for Blind and Visually Impaired Visitors
Join artist, researcher, and educator Jacek Smolicki for a sound walk in the Arboretum, designed for visitors who are blind or vision impaired. Trees not only generate sound when pumping water up their trunks and branches or serving as habitats for other species; they can also receive and respond to sound waves! Learn about acoustic ecology and listen to the sounds Smolicki has captured in the Arboretum and other forest environments. Please bring your own headphones (wired and over-the-ear are ideal).
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Apr 10
Arboreal Sonorities: Sound Walk in the Arboretum | Monday Walk
Trees not only generate sound when pumping water up their trunks and branches or serving as habitats for other species; they can also receive and respond to sound waves! Join artist, researcher, and educator Jacek Smolicki on a walk through the Arboretum. Learn about acoustic ecology and listen to the sounds Smolicki has captured in the Arboretum and other forest environments. Please bring your own headphones (wired and over-the-ear are ideal).
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Apr 12
On-site Lecture | The Radicle Underground
Join Dr. Peter Del Tredici as he dives into the world of roots and fungi beneath the soil. How are tree roots structured, and how do they get water and nutrients from the soil into the tree itself? How do symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi promote the growth and survival of both individual plants and entire forests? Understanding the structure and function of a tree's root system will not only help the audience become better gardeners but will enhance their appreciation of how forests work.
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Apr 12
Virtual Livestream Lecture | The Radicle Underground
Join Dr. Peter Del Tredici as he dives into the world of roots and fungi beneath the soil. How are tree roots structured, and how do they get water and nutrients from the soil into the tree itself? How do symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi promote the growth and survival of both individual plants and entire forests? Understanding the structure and function of a tree's root system will not only help the audience become better gardeners but will enhance their appreciation of how forests work.
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Apr 16
Family Hike: Welcome Back Redwing Blackbirds
Families need nature at all times of the year! Learn about the beautiful redwing blackbirds that have returned to the North Meadow. Wear a redwing blackbird cape, go on a StoryWalk® about wild birds, get a redwing blackbird tattoo, and learn about bird songs in the Arboretum.
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Apr 29
Birding 101
Enjoy a walk in the Arboretum's landscape with our resident and experienced birder, Bob Mayer. You will see migrating birds, as well as those that spend the winter here at the Arnold Arboretum. This two hour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders.